Caterpillar no longer prints service manuals for any of their machines. Because of the cost of updating paper manuals. Each service technician has access to a system that cat calls sis (service information system) if you have your serial# XXXXX your machine and go to your local cat dealer as an owner you can get limited access to information on your skidsteer for a yearly subscription fee.what is it you are looking for right now and i can look it up for you.

No problem right now ..thankfully. Just want to study and keep for the future. I know that the printed volumes are indeed available, at the dealer for +$500. and at other places on the web for +$300. I'm looking for an alternative to that. Going to the dealer everytime I need to study something isn't an option.
Thanks

Contacted the local dealer after reading your advice. They are clueless about what you advise. Said that I needed to open an account with them. I didn't go any further to determine if that would allow me access as your advise. Will continue to try however. If it works out, I'll gladly hit the accept button. Right now, I'm no further along to getting access to the service manual than I was when I posted the question.

Customer:replied 6 years ago.

Contacted the local dealer after reading your advice. They are clueless about what you advise. Said that I needed to open an account with them. I didn't go any further to determine if that would allow me access as your advise. Will continue to try however. If it works out, I'll gladly hit the accept button. Right now, I'm no further along to getting access to the service manual than I was when I posted the question.

Louisiana Machinery in Reserve,LA. They were completely clueless. One clueless guy shouting questions to another clueless lady, both of whom had no idea what I was talking about. I would gladly go elsewhere to get registered but I don't know where else to do. Any help would be appreciated and rewarded.

Go to www.zieglercat.com in the top right corner it will have a drop down menu, under it will say register. click that link, fillout theinfo and request your applications. about a day or two later they will email you saying your account is active.

Both Ziegler Cat and my local Cat dealer replied by sending me a 3 page credit application to establish an account with them in order to access the SIS. A 3 PAGE CREDIT APPLICATION in order to see my service manual!! NOT IN THIS LIFETIME!! The technical manager told me that I was far better off with the service manual than the SIS. So my question remains, does anyone know where I can put my hands on a reasonably priced service manual for a CAT 247/257 skid steer?

Well, that's the manual that ServiceProManuals has listed on their website. That one is $821. The same manual can be bought directly from Caterpillar for $530, both completely outrageous!! That's the business that I need to get into.

Thanks. At this point, I'm looking for the manual. I'm told that if necessary, until I find one, if I encounter a problem, I'm welcome to go to the CAT dealer and view the SIS. Until I find a manual, that's what I'll do.
Thanks again and Happy Holidays.

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